On the cross, Jesus overcame evil with good: He didn’t return evil for evil; He didn’t pass on the evil by seeking revenge; He absorbed it (Romans 12:21; 1 Peter 2:23). The only way we can truly absorb evil—the only way we can forgive—is to “roll it over” on Jesus who deals with it for us in perfect love and justice. To do that is to show love for our enemy because of our desire that he should know the…
Because God is a forgiving God, He is a healing God! These two are inseparable accompaniments of each other. Our healing always touches multiple levels in varying proportions—the emotional, the spiritual and the physical. These are not separable categories in our lives. We cannot rigidly distinguish between emotional and spiritual illness, which inevitably also carry in them physical implication. God is concerned about the whole person: body, soul, spirit, mind, will, and emotions. So if we harbor grudges, offenses, anger,…
Today, Pastor Steve Carpenter continues his exploration of Jesus’ Parable of Two Debtors from Luke 7:36–50. Jesus now places this (former) prostitute on a high pedestal for all to see, while at the same time giving a scathing indictment of Simon’s own rudeness. Jesus looks squarely at this woman, whom everyone else was trying to ignore, while at the same time speaking directly and pointedly to Simon the Pharisee. To drive His point home to Simon He tells the Parable…
In part 1 today, Pastor Steve Carpenter begins an in-depth exploration of Jesus’ Parable of Two Debtors from Luke 7:36–50. In this parable an immoral woman comes center stage as a perfect picture of both forgiveness and repentance as Jesus schools a self-righteous Pharisee on such matters. In the process, this (formally) immoral woman beautifully bestows the honor and courtesies rightfully due Jesus, but which had been shamefully withheld by his Pharisaic host. Simon, the self-righteous Pharisee, would do well…